Three of the five driving and coupled axle horn guides and associated axle boxes have ow been completed, and it is now anticipated the engine chassis should be ready for re-wheeling by about mid-January 2016, with the pony truck overhaul already completed and waiting.

5th November 2015

Work on the boiler overhaul repairs is virtually complete with only the blow down flange and a few washout plugs to fit. The dome lid and two blanking plates need also to be fitted as part of preparations for hydraulic test in December.

The super heater elements then need hydraulic testing before being fitted.

The boiler fittings have been examined and a schedule of work required to overhaul them has been produced.

The chassis overhaul is progressing with the replating and machining of all the horn guide faces complete along with work to the axleboxes.
Work has now started to hand fit the axle boxes into their respective horn guides.
The defective rivets found in the frames have been replaced and the chassis is being prepared for painting.

Once this work has been competed the engine chassis can be re-wheeled.

The work required to overhaul the tender has been determined and a quote received from NNR Engineering Department for this work along with the cost to build a new ashpan.
Work still to do includes repairs to the cab, boiler cladding,
lubrication systems, brakes, then the return of the boiler into the frames, reconnection of pipework then further steam testing.

B12/3

23rd December 2015

The work has been progressing to dismantle and examine the critical items identified in our assessment schedule.

All six driving and coupled axle box leaf springs have now been removed, and it has been found that the leaf spring to the leading driving axle on the left hand side has a broken top leaf. This indicates and confirm that the leaf springs have been stressed as a consequence of the impact. All six driving and coupled axle box springs, along with the two bogie equaliser beam leaf springs are on pallets ready for despatch to a specialist spring company for full examination and testing.

It has been found that the tender tank has been shifted forward by about 1/4" by the impact, and an internal examination has found a number of bracing bars to have fractured due to the surge of water. This has also caused the connection points to the sides of the tender to be flexed resulting in filler to break away and the steel to have pin holed. These will require weld repairs which then has a knock on effect of damaging the paint and lettering. These are going need to be re-plaited and the lettering renewed to restore to original pristine condition.

The bogie has been fully dismantled, and work started on the overhaul of the wheels with the first axle in the wheel lathe for tyre turning.

The lateral slide bronze plates have worn badly and are life expired requiring replacement, along with some remedial work to restore wear on the swivel bearing plates on the underside of the bogie pivot stretcher which fastens beneath the cylinder block in the engine frames.

The retaining pivot pin bolt has been deformed by the incident at Holt and needs replacing.

One of the bogie frames has developed a crack in the corner of the horn guide slot, which is attributable to the impact damage and will need to be ground out and weld repaired.

The winter overhaul work can then continue with the axle boxes being fully re-metalled.

The engine to tender draw links and pins have been mag-particle NDT examined, and there are no immediate signs of damage to these parts.

Regards the maintenance work to the motion, this has progressed well with the relevant valve gear components dismantled, and the expansion links despatched to a specialist Company in the centre of Birmingham for annealing, the slots dress grinding out, followed by them being re-case hardened and the curved slots final fine grinding to the required dimension. New hardened steel die blocks then being manufactured to suit the new slot widths, machined to the required clearance of between 0.003" to 0005".

Given the amount of work that has been identified due largely to the crash damage, along with the winter maintenance work, it is doubtful she will be back before the March Gala.

Y14 News

23rd December 2015

Work has finally been concluded to resolve the screw coupling links that were binding. It is understood that a further set on piston rods metallic gland packings may be needed as the second set are still not proving to be fully satisfactory in bedding down and giving a steam tight seal.

Colin Green at Riley & Son Ltd has kindly provided details of the original set of packings metallurgical composition by using their special device which can analyse the metallurgy of materials without the need to send to a laboratory.

This information is being shared with the NNR Engineering team to help identify the optimum mix for the white metal.

Click for Gallery

B12 Update

7th December 2015

B12 Update with many thanks to Bryan Toovey for the pictures.
The bogie has been removed and stripped down, the piston valves have been removed and one of the pistons also taken out.
The bogie wheels are going to have a skim taken off the tyres, and one axle is seen being put into the wheel lathe.

Iron Horse Appeal

2nd December 2015

Appeal Benefits

All appeal supporters who donate by monthly standing order will become honorary members of the Loco Club for the duration of their support.

All appeal supporters will be invited to travel behind the engine on a specially arranged day to officially launch it into traffic.

All appeal supporters who donate over &pound100 in a twelve month period will receive a limited edition line drawing print of the engine.

The DUB-DEE

In 1943 the Railway Executive Committee needed a new design of locomotive that was simple and economic to construct, maintain and operate. The Second World War had brought full austerity and materials were scarce. With invasion plans being drawn up, more engines were needed, and fast.

The War Department (WD) settled upon two variants of the same design. 935 of a 2-8-0 and 150 of a 2-10-0 design were built and both saw use across Britain, Europe and North Africa. They were rugged machines, only expected to last five years.

The M&GN Joint Railway Society's locomotive, Ministry of Supply No.3652 emerged from the North British Railway works in Glasgow in December 1943. It was almost immediately shipped out to liberated North Africa to service the Allied advance on Italy.

Now, 72 years later with the engine back in the UK, we are working hard to return this workhorse of the war effort to steam again. The overhaul is well underway, however, we need one final fundraising push to finish the job.

Click for Gallery

Members Day

3rd October 2015

Thanks you to everyone who came today. Brilliant to see Wissington and the Y14 out as well as the Class 31.

Total donations from today are just over &pound2000 which has gone into the WD fund. With luck we might have all 5 of the society locos out next year.

All Images Courtesy of Leigh Caudwell.

Click for Gallery

Joint Line Issue 167 Posted

1st October 2015

Joint Line Issue 167 has been posted and should be with you very shortly if you have not received it already.

The issue contains news of a very successful Summer Season by Hugh Harkett and Trevor Eady.

Keith Ashford details the problems we have had and solved with the Y14 since its return and John Gorton tells us about the model railway we were bequeathed.

There is much information from Carriage and Wagon on the progress of the Suburban 4 and the Eastern DMU and Bob Wright and Tony Cornell talk about Works and Signalling.

The centrespread is the two 9F locomotives taken at Holt over the Gala and some great pictures follow of this and the Diesel Gala.

Adrian Vaughan writes about the M&GNJRS railtours and Ray Bullock and Mike Back give us some more insight in to working on the railway in the 1950s.

AGM Minutes

29th September 2015

Minutes for the Society's AGM held on 18 July 2015 are available to read here. These will be presented to the 2016 AGM for approval.

At Weybourne, the ever popular shed tours will be taking place. This will give you an excellent insight into all the building work and expansion of the shed facilities over the past 12 months, as well as seeing some of the outstanding engineering and restoration work that is currently in progress. Tours will meet at the Porters lodge and run approximately every 45 minutes.

The Weybourne Book shop will be open.

Also available is Drive for a Fiver at Sheringham from platform 2 to the signal box and back.

You must go to any booking office and show your membership/shareholders badge to get the free travel ticket.

Click for Gallery

Austin K2 Lorry Helps to clear up

23rd September 2015

Volunteers made good use of the Society's K2 lorry to transport the fencing, barriers and other paraphernalia from Holt field back in to storage after the Forties weekend.

B12 Incident

21st September 2015

With some trepidation we do have to announce that the B12 was involved in an incident on Sunday 20th September at Holt (running into the buffers). We ask please for no speculation we will update once we have facts.

The society, and the Chairman (who was action as RO) in particular would like to thank the North Norfolk Railway Volunteers and Employees (both working and who just happened to be about the railway) who were exemplary in help and assistance to keep things going and helping above and beyond what was expected or even hoped for.

21st September 2015 Update:

We are pleased to report that the B12 has now been safely removed to Weybourne Works and we would like to thank all those involved in its speedy collection and delivery. It now awaits a full inspection by the Weybourne technicians and we will advise you in due course what repairs will be required.

28th September 2015 Update:

Literally the phone has just been put down from the authorities involved. We are now allowed to start stripping down to properly access the damage and work out what repairs are needed. Investigations into the incident are still on going. More updates as and when we have them.

Wissington Specials

16th September 2015

We are pleased to announce that we will be running THREE special "Wissington" Days on the run up to Members' Day.

These are scheduled for 30th September and 1st/2nd October. and will run as follows

Fares will be 50p per journey on top of the normal Day Rover ( Full price or "Priv" rate) which will be collected by the guard on the train.

The train will comprise the Pigeon Van, The Picnic Saloon, 129 and "Irene". (subject to confirmation by NNR Ops. Dept)

Members & Shareholders Day 3rd October

28th August 2015

The annual Society members and NNR Shareholders day is fast approaching.

As in previous years there will be an intense service with the B12, Y14, Wissington and the class 31 in service, due to popular request, engines have been time tabled so the 'driver for a fiver' can take place on platform 2 at Sheringham, on engines between trains, where you can drive one of the engines out of the station, up to the signal box and back.

We will have the Quads, the vintage set and the mainline set with the 'Muddle and Go Knowhere' bar in operation.

At Weybourne, the ever popular shed tours, led by stalwart Society member and shed volunteer Alistair McDougal, will be taking place. This will give you an excellent insight into all the building work and expansion of the shed facilities over the past 12 months, as well as seeing some of the outstanding engineering and restoration work that is currently in progress.

Holt will have the wonderful museum open, which, as ever, has changing displays to show off some of the thousands of artefacts we have also the dray will be on display and the M&GN lorry, which if the Chairman has time, I am sure may be seen going between the stations.

Please come and have a great day out, make sure you bring your membership cards to gain free travel, you will be surprised at how much has changed again on the North Norfolk Railway in the past year and even more changes will be happening over the next 12 months.

Y14 Hauled Trains To Run In August

14th August 2015

Don't forget our Vintage Train is once again running on Tuesday 18th and Tuesday 25th August on the North Norfolk Railway. The train itself consists of GER No.7, M&GN 129 and BYP 6843, hauled by our very own Y14 (564).

There is no need to pre-book to travel on the Vintage train, just buy a Rover Ticket and pay a £1 supplement on the train to travel on a piece of East Anglian history.

Trains depart Sheringham at 11:00, 12:40 and 14:20. The return services from Holt depart at 11:47, 13:55 and 15:07.

Click For Gallery

Joint Line Issue 166 Posted

16th June 2015

The 166th issue of Joint Line, the Society's quaterly magazine has been posted to all members.

This issue of Joint Line contains an overview from the NNR's managing director Hugh Harkett of NNR finances for the last trading year - and a good year it has been. There is photographic coverage of the Spring Steam Gala, a couple of Mayflower on main line duty - one at Somerleyton - as well as photos of the Y7 and Ring Haw on hire to other railways.

The centre spread is a particularly nice photograph of the newly-outshipped Y14 in GER livery - which is also for sale as a larger A3 poster - and there is full coverage of its return to the NNR together with reports on all the other Society-owned locomotives. Detailed plans are published of the NNR's new building at Sheringham in Bob Wright's 'Works' article and there is the usual round-up of other activity on the Railway.

The historical section has Adrian Vaughan's take on the 'golden age' of the M&GN, David Webb has a short piece with photos on the bridge that took M&GN trains over the East Coast Main Line and Ray Bullock continues his fascinating recollections of life as a fireman on the M&GN.

2015 Annual General Meeting

8th June 2015

Formal notice of the next Annual General meeting will be given to members via the next edition of Joint Line.

The venue is The Morley Club, 48 Cromer Road, Sheringham, NR26 8RS. The AGM begins at 1300 on Saturday 18th July, followed by refreshments at 1330. Car parking is available at the nearby public car park in Station Road.

Carriage & Wagon Blog

27th April 2015

Members may be interested to know that the Carriage & Wagon department now publishes updates from the workshops several times a month, via a new blog.

The 165th issue of Joint Line, the Society's quaterly magazine has been posted to all members.

The Spring 2015 issue contains the Chairman's, NNR Managing Director's and NNR General Manager's updates, along with departmental reports on Society and NNR locomotives, Carriage and Wagon, Buildings, the William Marriott Museum and several articles, including contributions from the railway historian Adrian Vaughan and former M&GN engineman, Ray Bullock.

Y14 Launch Day Announced

17th March 2015

The Trustees of the M&GN Joint Railway Society are pleased to announce the launch day for the J15/Y14 has been confirmed.

The engine will be launched into traffic on Saturday 28th March 2015.

Supporters of the appeal will be notified in due course to advise them of the days schedule. Because the Y14 launch day is being held on a normal NNR operating day, Society members will be elegible for privelidge rate travel (as per the Bye-Laws) but unlike the Members' Day, there will not be free travel on the day.

A timetable for the day's services will be available for download here. [b]Please note that the Y14 special is reserved for notified appeal supporters only[/b]. The special train will consist of the LNER Pigeon Brake, Mk.I stock and the LNER RB Muddle and Go Nowhere Real Ale Bar Car. All Society members will be able to travel on the last special service of the day, but please note that there will be limited seating and part of the train will still be reserved.

Any members of the Railway and local press wishing to attend are advised to contact media@mandgn.co.uk in the first instance.

Click for Gallery(Six Photos)

Y14 Final Painting

13th March 2015

Despite setbacks, we are pleased to report that our J15/Y14 steams! And not only that, but she also moves under that very steam! And not only that, but she is now wearing the guise of GER Blue!

We were most dissapointed that the locomotive could not make the North Norfolk Railway's Spring Steam Gala. Alas, several technical challenges, including some tempermental injectors, obstructed the engine's premature flight back to Norfolk. Needless to say, despite the setbacks the overhaul has continued. Some running in tests have been made on the East Lancashire Railway and final painting of the locomotive has now commenced.

Click the thumbnail, left, to view the latest overhaul images.

Click for Gallery(Two Photos)

Thumbs up from Captain Birdseye!

13th March 2015

Captain Birdseye made an appearance at the North Norfolk Railway's Spring Steam Gala to help launch the newly overhauled Birdseye liveried 'AF' container into traffic.

Sitting atop a 'Conflat' wagon, the container has been effectively been built from scratch, with some of the fittings salvaged from an original 'AF' container the M&GN Joint Railway Society aquired from the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. Early on in the overhaul, it was found that it was not feasable to restore the original, so a plan was hatched to make one from scratch, led by the multi-skilled band of Society Carriage & Wagon volunteers.

The decision was made to paint it in the Birdseye livery, because these were used extensively on fish trains between Yarmouth South Town and Lowestoft to London. All lettering on the vehicle has been painstakingly hand painted by master signwriter Brian Ashby.

It was seen across the NNR over the Spring gala weekend, marshalled in the ever growing demonstration freight train.

If you would like to support projects such as this, and other Carriage and Wagon overhauls, please join the Joint Heritage Coach Fund

Click for Gallery(Five Photos)

Success for Wissington Specials

17th February 2015

We would like to thank all supporters and members who came out on the first weekend of public services on the North Norfolk Railway for supporting our special day out with Wissington and the Wisbech & Upwell Coach.

Wissington performed faultlessly, in her new deeper green and more authentic British Sugar Corporation livery. B12 8572 worked alongside Wissington with Class 37 D6732 on Saturday 14th and the NNR's Class 101 DMU on Sunday 15th. Signwriting to add Wissington nameplates to the tank sides could not be completed in time for the day but will commence shortly

Wissington will return to the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway shortly, but we hope that this will not be the first special to use the Wisbech & Upwell coach this year.

A selection of pictures from Saturday 14th can be viewed by clicking the thumbnail, left.

Two videos of the day on Sunday 15th can be found on the Society Youtube page here and via Peter Boggis, here.

Wissington Weekend

21st January 2015

The Society's Hudswell-Clarke locomotive Wissingtonwill be in service hauling special trains on the first weekend of half term on the 14th & 15th February.

It will be hauling the Wisbech & Upwell coach, sister vehicle to the one featured in the famous Ealing Comedy The Titfield Thunderbolt. This is a rare opportunity to travel in this coach, which is only used on special occasions.
Tickets are sold on a first come, first serve basis with priority for Society members. The cost is &pound15 for one round trip on the special (this is for an out-and-back trip only, starting at Sheringham) and includes a rover ticket to allow unlimited travel on all other trains in the day (a normal yellow service will be operating, with a diesel locomotive hauled train on Saturday 14th vice the NNR's Class 101 DMU). All proceeds from ticket sales will support the Railway and the Society. To book, please telephone the North Norfolk Railway general office on 01263 820800.

Although the timetable is yet to be finalised, there will be three trips made each day with trains departing Sheringham at 1056, 1226 and 1356.

Click for Gallery(Five Photos)

Appeal Total Achieved!

10th January 2015

We start 2015 with some important news - thanks to the generosity of our membership and supporters, the &pound100,000 target of the Y14:2014 Appeal has been reached and exceeded.

We really cannot thank everyone who has contributed - from appeal supporters of all denominations, from the long term support of J15 '200' Club members and from members of the Loco Club. We are also extremely grateful to the members of the press for the assistance we have receieved in promoting and publicising the appeal and progress on the Y14 (J15) overhaul.

Unfortunatly, whilst we were successful in steaming the Y14 to working boiler pressure as part of the out of frames steam test in September, the Y14 did not turn a wheel under its own steam in 2014, due to setbacks in the programme of works that saw extra unanticipated work identified. The end result is that whilst we are dissapointed to have missed our target to have the Y14 in traffic by the close of the year, the extra works undertaken will ensure the long-term reliability of the engine.

The locomotive is close to final completion, with only several outstanding tasks to complete. These include the casting and machining of a replacement blower valve, which has proved to be a difficult task. Once this and several other minor works have been completed, the engine will be steam tested. Providing this is successful, it will then undertake running in tests at the East Lancashire Railway.

If all these tests are completed successfully, the engine will then undergo final works to recieve the intricate Great Eastern Railway ultramarine blue livery, before being transported back to the North Norfolk Railway.

2015 Membership Rates

9th January 2015

With the advent of 2015, we have some important changes to announce regarding membership fees. The cost of membership will see a modest increase, to take into account increased costs and other financial burdens the Society incurs.

This is the first time rates have been increased for five years, having last increased in 2010. We still feel that in comparison to other heritage railways, our subscription costs still offer great value for money.

Life Membership
Adult Life &pound365
Premier Life &pound600
Premier Plus Life &pound1200
Joint Life &pound500
Senior Life &pound300
Senior Couple Life &pound450

*Up to two adults at the same address.
**Two adults
***Up to 16, or students to 22.

Please also note that following discussion and agreement with the North Norfolk Railway, discounted travel is now no longer available in the first year of membership for new members. Members qualify for 70% discounted travel on the North Norfolk Railway after the first year of membership. Members purchasing five-year or life memberships still receive discounted travel in the first year. Discounted travel excludes special events in all circumstances.

The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Society is the supporting charity of (and major shareholder in) the North Norfolk Railway, which operates a 5¼ mile heritage railway from Sheringham to Holt.

The Society actively works to preserve, display and operate a wide range of historical artefacts which include four steam locomotives and many unique carriages and wagons.